If your D is just a junior she has plenty of time to put together a portfolio. If you live outside of Philly I HIGHLY recommend Tyler’s summer portfolio boot camp. Tyler has other weekend classes available to high school seniors. My D did the Tyler camp and finished 8 pieces in two weeks. She was able to complete her portfolio with a few other things she did in school. She was accepted everywhere she applied (Tyler, Michigan, SAIC, Drexel, and Syracuse). There are scholarships for the boot camp.
As far as majors, it is fine to have an idea of a major but all art schools really make sure students are exposed to all areas and have a year or two of foundation classes before they must choose a major. Quite often students end up majoring in something completely different than they planned. My D is a freshman at Tyler and still is not sure what she will choose for a major. When we visited RISD the student guide told us she started as a painting major and ended up in furniture design!
Also there is no need to go to NPD until senior year. It is a good idea to go if you can because a) your D will get her portfolio evaluated by actual college art admissions people, and b) some schools will accept the portfolio on the spot so all you have to do is apply to the college. Big timesaver, and if the critiques do not go well you know what you need to do to get your portfolio to an acceptable level.
Temple can seem scary to parents. We are actually letting our D move off campus next year and just signed a lease. The university security is very good. The police patrol area has been greatly expanded. I actually feel it is a safer neighborhood than RISD or MICA. It is extremely rare for any students to have problems unless they are out very late and alone. Next fall they are instituting an on-call shuttle like a free Uber that students can call until 2 am to get a ride home. The campus itself is very safe.
Great academic scholarships at Temple too. Much better than almost any art school. Honors students get a $4000 stipend to study abroad and Temple has campuses in Rome and Tokyo. My D plans to study in Iceland her junior year.
My older son majored in music composition at Belmont. He just graduated last summer and is already a working composer, and just had a piece accepted by a prestigious choral group. He and his art student girlfriend are mounting their own multimedia show in April and got local funding for it.
Making a living in the arts is possible as long as you have the drive and willingness to network all the time. Having a Plan B is always a good idea, as is not spending an exorbitant amount of money for your education so you can live frugally while starting your career.